If you reached this post midway through your online quest to research everything under the sun about moving to Singapore – you are in the right place.
As a long-term expat in Singapore, and Expat-In-Chief over at Welcome Home, I look forward to sharing my personal experiences on this blog. Hopefully, this will be a useful resource for new expats looking forward to a new chapter in Singapore.
Let me start with one of the first few things you are probably excited about researching –deciding on where to live in Singapore.
I remember just how fun it was. Researching about all the different possibilities online, admiring the gorgeous photos and imagining a life there. But… things do not necessarily turn out that way – at least based on my personal experience. Cue the story of how I found my first house in Singapore.
Moving to Singapore: Research Phase
[Throwback to 2009...can't believe it's already more than 10 years ago]
When I first started planning on my move to Singapore, I really did not know much. I did not know much about the country, nothing about things I could do there… you get the picture. But what I did the most back then was research about places to live.
"From scouring the property portals all day and night, to googling every possible resource on forums (sounds familiar?) and more, I did my homework and thought I found THE perfect place."
It was called The Sail.
Back then, it was a brand-new development located right within the central business district around Marina Bay. Stunning architecture, two 60+ storey towers, had studio apartments within my price range, walking distance to work – I mean what more could I ask for?
After going through the beautifully designed website for the property again and again, I had my heart set on it. All this before I even stepped foot on a plane bound for Singapore.
Arriving in Singapore: The House Hunt Begins
Given my fixation on The Sail, when my company designated a property agent to help me figure out my living arrangement, I thought that I did not require that. I confidently told the property agent that I was predominantly interested only in The Sail and that we did not need to bother too much with others. Thinking back, she must have thought I was nuts for not wanting to look at other options. Luckily, she was professional (and experienced) enough to propose we go through the motions, nonetheless. And with that, I was scheduled for a full two-day schedule of 6 – 8 appointments to check out a variety of apartments.
So off we went! The Sail was one of the first few apartments we went to view. And…to be honest, it was quite underwhelming. The reality simply did not live up to my expectations. Walking into the unit and exploring it, frankly, it just felt cramped and small. It was a 500+ square feet unit, with a bedroom, living area and mini kitchen and yet I just felt constrained due to the layout. It just didn’t really flow for me.
As I left The Sail for the next few viewings, I was relieved that I still had more options to explore. So, we continued the viewings and checked out a variety of other spaces. And along the way, I found an ideal apartment for me – one that I did not (nor likely would not have) come across my research online!
My new apartment was a relatively new boutique development (with only around 50 units) called Nomu. If you are wondering what even clinched the deal for this new apartment – it was the location. The property was located (quite literally) in between two malls with a hypermarket and plenty of food options, just a stone’s throw away. And very fortunately, it was located nearly on top of Dhoby Ghaut MRT station, just 3 stations away from my office. Door to door, it took me less than 20 minutes to reach my office from home. Everything just seemed to fall neatly into place – so I went for it!
Interestingly, this new apartment was smaller than my “dream” apartment at The Sail.
It was only around 460 square feet. And yet with smart design and layout, it accommodated a full-size galley kitchen, decent bathroom space and a good-sized living room and bedroom. This made the unit so much more liveable than many of the other units I viewed.
Once I gave the “okay”, things were sorted relatively easily. I signed the lease agreement, paid the deposit and moved in just a couple of weeks later. And so, I started living in Singapore in my first apartment for the next four years here.
Fast forward four years later, my soon to be wife and I decided to upgrade our living situation and moved out to a much larger two bedroom – but that story I will save for another time (or rather post).
Key Takeaways
So, what is the moral of the story?
Doing research ahead of time is great, but it is not worth wasting time obsessing over the research. Keep an open mind for when you arrive.
As much as detailed online research can help, it just cannot replace you going to the apartment and looking in person. There are too many aspects of a living space that is hard to anticipate simply with photos or videos.
Make sure you work with someone who understands what your needs are and have a good understanding of the market. Till this day, I am so thankful my property agent did not just take my word for it and encouraged me to look at other options.
Moving to Singapore: It Can Be A Simple Process
How is your relocation process coming along so far? Is the online research helping? Or is the information overload too overwhelming for you? Feel free to comment below or like and leave us a message on our Facebook page and I promise we'll get back to you!
And, if at any point along your journey you feel like you would like to engage a professional to guide you through the process, please feel free to contact me at jason@welcomehome.sg for a non-obligatory discussion on your needs.